December 30, 2012

Buddhist Calls Norquist’s Pledge ‘Treasonous’

It’s one day before the end of the year, and the GOP refuses to compromise on the tax cuts that take effect in a little over 24 hours. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said on Fox News that there would be no agreement without taking money away from the elderly and disabled by lowering Social Security.

Meanwhile Robert Thurman, noted Buddhist scholar, prolific author, respected academician, and one of Time’s most influential people of 1997, expressed his concern about Republicans refusal to raise any taxes because of their pledge to Grover Norquist. Thurman has made a video to explain how the pledge is seditious and treasonous. (Yes, Mr. Norquist, we understand that you claim the pledge is made to the constituents and not you, but there wouldn’t be a pledge without you.)

According to Thurman, those who have taken the anti-tax pledge, “have taken an oath to an outside organization which is not supported by the U.S. Constitution–which gives Congress the right to levy taxes, to do the work of the people through the government –but this is a non governmental organization, not elected by anybody and supported by big money people who are making money by not having to pay taxes.”

Thurman adds:

“And these people have signed a sworn oath that contradicts their oath of office. And therefore, in fact, they do have mental reservations, and they do have purpose of evasion and they are not sincerely taking their oath of office. And if they persist in that, and if they are held to that by this outside person who is not a member of the government, then they are, in fact, breaking their oath of office and they are not serving what they swore to serve the American people.”

Thurman also takes umbrage with Norquist’s rationale for the pledge: “I’m not in favor of abolishing the government. I just want to shrink it down to the size where we can drown it in the bathtub.” By their loyalty to Norquist, the pledge-takers become anarchists, agreeing that government is useless and that they should “starve the beast.” The beast reference, as defined by fundamentalists, refers to Satan in the Book of Revelations, “a very negative way of depicting the U.S. government,” Thurman said.

People have an obligation to their constituents. If they cannot compromise to keep the government successful, they have a serious and actionable conflict of interest—grounds for impeachment. Thurman said that they are “unfit for office.”

He concludes, “…they must, as a single body, reject their oath to Grover Norquist, renounce that oath in order to retake their oath of office; sincerely, without mental reservation, and without purpose of evasion; which is what they must do to be reinstated in our good graces, the people of the United States, of whom they are the employee.”

On this, the last Sunday of the year, the self-identified Christians in Congress, should pay attention to a Buddhist. Thurman wants to save the country; the GOP wants to destroy the country in order to keep their jobs.